Window blind



2- B. w; TOUCHSTONE 2,288,260

WINDOW BLIND Filed April 12, 1940 Patented June 30, 1942 R WINDOW BLINDBurt Warren Touchstone, Haughton, La., assignor of one-third to MathewJ. Derryberry,

Shreveport, La.

Application April 12, 1940, Serial No. 329,215

3 Claims.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the supporting anchor members,

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that theblind structure emperpendicular to the window opening or may be shiftedinto positions where they lie substantially fiat against the face of thewindow andin edge overlapping relation to form a complete covering bodyfor the window opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a blind structure ofthe character stated, a novel means for mounting the structure wherebythe resiliency of the strips of the blind functions to maintain thestructure in operative position, the resiliency of the strips furtherfacilitating the torsional flexing of the strips whereby the strips maybe disposed at one side of a window opening substantially in closedposition while maintaining an open position at the opposite side of thewindow opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a window blindstructure employing a plurality of resilient strips, a novel mountingfor such resilent strips whereby they will all be constantly maintainedin stretched or taut condition and whereby they may be readily shiftedfrom an opened position with respect to the window to a closed positionwith respect thereto.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a window blindstructure formed in two sections for disposition one above the other infront of a window, the sections being independently movable whereby onemay be disposed in closed position with respect to the window while theother one remains opened, or both may be closed or opened, as may bedesired The invention will be best understood from a consideration ofthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with theunderstanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to anystrict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed ormodified so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the blind structure embodying thepresent invention showing in broken outline a window frame associatedwith the structure.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

bodying' the present invention is formed in two units which areindicated by the numerals l and 2. These units are substantialduplicates of one another and are disposed one over theupper half of awindow frame, which is indicated generally by the numeral} and the otherunit over the lower half of the frame. Since the two units aresubstantially the same with one minor exception, it will be readily seenthat a description of one will apply to the other. Each unit comprisestwo fixed bar members 4, each of which is here illustrated as beingformed of thin material and in tubular form, as shown in Fig. 2,although it will be understood that these bars may be of solidconstructiomif desired. ,These bars 4 are of greater width thanthickness as shown, and each is provided with a series of transverseopenings 5 formed through the edges thereof.

Coacting with each of the fixed bars 4 is a shiftable bar 6 whichconstantly maintains a parallel relation with the adjacent bar 4 andeach of these shiftable bars is also formed of sheet metal in the formof a flat tube, as shown in Fig. 2, the longitudinal edges of thematerial being brought together at the back of the bar, as illustrated.Each of these shiftable bars 6 likewise has a series of aperturesextending therethrough from one edge to the other, as indicated at l.

Coupling each parallel pair of bars 4--6 is a series of links, each ofwhich is generally indicated by the numeral 8. Each of these linkscomprises an arm portion 9, an angularly turned inner end pivot fingerI0 and an angularly turned outer end finger H, the fingers Ill and II ofeach link being extended in the same direction and in parallel relation,as shown. The pivot finger of each link is frictionally held againstfree turning in apertures 5 of the fixed supporting bar 5 while theouter finger H is frictionally held against free turning in the aperture1 of the movable bar 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the outer finger ll of eachlink is provided adjacent its free end with a notch l2 and an edge ofthe material from which the bar 6 is formed is pressed inwardly intothis notch, as indicated at l3, so as to establish a locking connectionbetween the shiftable bar and the finger l l of the link, which preventsthe bar from slipping off of the link finger but permits the finger tobe turned with respect to the bar.

The links 8 of one pair of bars 4-6 are arranged in horizontally spacedrelation with the opposite pair of bars and between each horizontallyspaced pair of links 8 there extends a relatively wide strip of material[4 which is of elastic character. These strips may be of any suitablematerial such as rubber or the stretchable tape-like material commonlysold as elastic. Each of these strips l4 constitutes a slat of the blindand at each end is formed to provide a sleeve i5 through which an arm 9of the adjacent link passes.

Associated with each of the units of the blind are channeled anchormembers, each of which is indicated by the numeral l6. Each of theseanchor members is in the form of a short fiat channeled body having therelatively wide inner and outer side portions l1 and a narrow connectingedge portion IS, the side portions being disconnected at their oppositelongitudinal edges. These anchor bodies are disposed in longitudinallyalined spaced relation at the sides of the window frame, being securedthereto in any suitable manner as by the use of screws l9, their openedges directed outwardly or away from the center of the frame. In otherwords, the closed back edges of the anchors on one side of the frame arein opposed relation to the closed back edges of the anchors which aresecured to the opposite side of the frame. These channeled anchormembers are of a width between their inner and outer walls I! sufficientto snugly receive a fixed bar 4 and when one of the bars 4 of one unitis engaged in a pair or more of the anchors I6, the opposite bar 4 ofthat unit must be pulled against the tension of the elastic strips orslats It to stretch such strips so that it may be engaged in the otheranchors. By this means, the units are maintained in position by theelasticity of the strips and it will be readily seen that by shiftingthe outer bars 6 of the units, the links may be rocked upon the innerpivot fingers 1!! so as to dispose the strips horizontally before thewindow frame or vertically, in which latter position they will havetheir longitudinal edges in adjacent or overlapping relation and thuscooperate to form an unbroken or substantially solid covering for thewindow opening.

The shiftable bar 6 may be: provided at appropriate points with knobs l9to facilitate their movement and the upper ones of the shiftable bars 6may be provided with forwardly turned tongues 6 provided with aperturesor other suitable means to facilitate the attachment of ourtain rodsthereto.

It will also be readily apparent that by the employment of two unitssuch as are here illustrated, the lower half of a window opening may becovered while the upper half is left uncovered or vice versa, and by theprovision of slats or strips of stretchable or resilient material, itwill also be readily seen that one side of a unit can be shiftedindependently of the other side so as to twist the slats and therebydeflect infiowing air in a desired direction.

What is claimed is:

1. A window blind, comprising two pairs of spaced parallel bars, anchormembers connected with and carrying one bar of each pair, said an chormembers being designed for attachment to the sides of a window frame, aplurality of link members for each pair of bars, each of said linkmembers comprising a relatively long center portion and angularly turnedend portions, one end portion of each link member for each pair of barsbeing pivotally secured transversely of the said one anchor carried barof each pair, the other angularly turned end portion of each link memberbeing pivotally secured transversely of the adjacent other bar of thepair, each of the said other bars being longitudinally movable andpivotally connected with the adjacent anchor carried bar whereby thebars may be moved together and apart in their parallel relation, thelink members of one pair of bars being disposed oppositely from the linkmembers of the other pair of bars, and a relatively wide strip ofelastic material connecting the central portions of each pair of linkmembers and maintained in stretched condition therebetween andmaintaining the connection between the anchor members and the barsengaged thereby.

2. A window blind, comprising two pairs of spaced parallel bars, anchormembers connected with and carrying one bar of each pair, said anchormembers being designed for attachment to the sides of a window frame, aplurality of link members for each pair of bars, each of said linkmembers comprising a relatively long center portion and angularly turnedend portions, one end portion of each link member for each pair of barsbeing rockably supported transversely of the said one anchor carried barof each pair and maintained by frictional contact therewith against.

free turning, the other angularly turned end portion of each link memberbeing rockably joined to and extending transversely of the adjacentother bar of the pair, each of the said other bars being longitudinallymovable and connected with the adjacent anchor carried bar by said linkswhereby the bars may be moved together and apart in their parallelrelation, the link members of one pair of bars being disposed oppositelyfrom the link members of the other pair of bars, and a relatively widestrip of stretched elastic material connecting the central portions ofeach pair of link members, said anchor members being of channeled formand disposed with the open sides of the anchor members of one bardirected oppositely to the open sides of the anchor members of the otherbar and said elastic strips functioning to pull the anchor memberengaged bars together and into the anchor members.

3. In a blind construction of the character described, including twoparallel bars one of which is adapted to be secured to a window frameand the other being shiftable, a pivotal coupling means between the barswhereby the shiftable bar may be moved toward and away from the securedbar and maintained in spaced parallel relation therewith, comprising apair of elongated members each having an angularly extending pivotfinger disposed transversely of and pivotally connected to a securedbar, a pivot finger carried by each elongated member in spaced parallelrelation with the first finger thereof and extending transversely of andthrough the shiftable bar, the secondmentioned pivot fingers of theelongated members each having a notch cut therein, and looking meansbetween the shiftable bar and the pivot finger attached theretocomprising a portion of the shiftable bar pressed into the notch of eachfinger engaged therewith.

BURT WARREN TOUCHSTONE.

